Opposites Tend to Attract
by molly1925
Summary: Life for Lydia is never easy. Even without her three adopted Ishvalan children, her growing love for the criminal Scar is difficult, considering Lydia is the ex-girlfriend of the alchemist Kimbley. She can only hope that everything won't go to disaster as she willingly follows the vengeful Ishvalan on his journey though Amestris. That is, if Kimbley doesn't find and kill her first.
1. Lydia

**I know this is a interesting idea, whether it is good or bad. I honestly think it is good. I decided to type this because one day I got the idea in my head, and was very interested in it. I bet the biggest question is how Kimbley and Scar end up being involved wit the same girl. Well, you'll have to see for yourself, later. This might start out slowly, but it will probably speed up when it gets to the Anime. Just a note, I will get Kimbly out of prison a lot sooner for my purposes.**

**I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, ether version. Because if I had owned the first (This is based on the second) I would not have them do what they did, especially in the movie.**

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><p>Lydia stared out her bedroom window absentmindedly as she though about her sweetheart. He had left to fight in the Ishvalan Civil War a while ago. Solf had grinned at her as he stuck his head out the train and waved.<p>

Lydia smiled, Solf had been particularly pleased when he had been named the Crimson Alchemist at eighteen a year ago. Lydia, she wasn't sure how she had caught Solf's eye, but she was glad that she did. The charming alchemist had always maintained some sort of interest in her.

A small movement near the barn caught her eye, and Lydia noticed a person slip inside the building. She frowned, and grabbed the rake from by the door as she walked inside of the barn.

Lydia looked around, the barn looked untouched, but she was certain she had seen someone go inside the barn. After a minute, she called out, "Hello, is someone in here." She paused before she added, "You don't have to hide. I won't hurt you if you don't try to hurt me."

For a second, nothing happened. Then a Ishvalan woman stood up slowly inside of an empty stable. The woman opened her mouth and asked cautiously, "Are you still not going to attack?" Once she had gotten over her surprise, Lydia leaned against the rake as she responded, "I don't see a reason to."

The Ishvalan woman hesitated before she said, "But what about the war? I though all Amestrians hated Ishvalans." Lydia's mouth twitched as she said, "That's the good thing about living in a western backwater town like Turil, we generally don't pay much attention to what's happening in the world outside our homes, wars included."

Lydia smiled as she said, "Why don't you come inside my house for a bit. You look like you need some rest." The woman smiled lightly as she said, "Thank you, but are you sure you want u- me in you house?"

Lydia shrugged, and the woman stepped out off the stall. Lydia raised her eyebrow when she noticed the woman's large pregnant belly. She calmly said, "It won't be good for your kid if you stay out here when it gets cold." The woman blushed and said, " I suppose you're right. My name is Clare." Lydia smiled and said, "Mine's Lydia."

Lydia paused before she said, "And the others in your group?" Clare looked almost surprised before Lydia stated, "You started to say 'us' before you interrupted yourself."

Clare shook her head before she said, "Sorry, I just didn't want my family to be threatened if you were dangerous." Lydia nodded as she said, "That sounds reasonable." Clare gestured to someone who was still hidden in the stall as she said, "It's alright little ones, you can come out now."

There was the sound of shuffling footsteps, and two young children stepped out. The younger of which was a girl, and the older was a boy. Clare gently touched the girl's shoulder who looked at Lydia from behind her mothers leg as she said, "This is my daughter Elsie, she is three." Clare reached over and placed her other hand on the boy who squirmed slightly and frowned at Lydia as she said, "And this is my son Aaron, he is ten. Their father's name is Clyde, but he ... died a short time ago."

Elsie tugged at Clare's hand as she said, "Mom, I'm hungry." Clare smiled sadly at her daughter and said , "I know little one, we all are." Lydia paused as she remembered having baked some thing earlier. She looked at Elsie's sad face as she said, "Well, I have something. I made a meat-pie earlier, but I don't need it."

Clare blushed, and said, "Thank you, but I don't want to take something you need." Lydia shook her head as she said repeated, "I honesty don't need it. It's just something I made spontaneously to see if I could." The statement had been true, there had been a lot of healthy cattle born earlier, and her mother had gotten a fantastic price when they had sold them. For they time being, Lydia and her mom could afford to give food to others.

Clair nodded and gestured to her kids to follow Lydia inside the small gray house. Lydia took them into the kitchen and Clare, Elsie, and Aaron sat down on the plain, wooden chairs. Lydia served all three of them a piece of the meat pie, before she sat down at an empty seat. Clare hesitated, and Lydia smiled as she said, "It's not poisoned you know. You can eat it." Clare hesitated again, and Lydia grabbed a fork and said, "See, I'll show you."

Lydia reached over and ate the tip of Clare's pie. She noted with satisfaction that the pie tasted quite good. Clare hesitated and watched Lydia for a minute, then took a bit of the pie. After a minute she motioned for her kids to do the same. Lydia smiled as she watched the three people eat silently.

She looked at Clare as she asked, "When is the baby due?" Clare set down the fork for a moment and answered, "The baby will be born in a week." Lydia nodded and smiled before she looked out the kitchen window, and down the winding path that went up the hill their house rested on.

After a minute, Lydia noticed her mother, Isabell, approach the bottom of the hill with two people behind her. Lydia tuned back to the three Ishvalans and said, "I'm sorry, I should go tell my mother you are here so she doesn't get upset." Clare nodded, and Lydia left the house before she ran down the hill quickly. She smiled at her mother when she reached the bottom of the hill.

Isabell smiled back and gestured to the two men with her as she said, "Lydia, these two soldiers will be staying with us until they can go to their families again." Lydia smiled politely until one of the two said, "I'd be glad to stay anywhere that doesn't have an Ishvalan. I've seen enough of those people to last a life-time."

Lydia's smile stared to fade briefly as she thought about the three Ishvalans sitting in the kitchen. She was especially worried about what would happen to the two children if they were found. Lydia didn't want to take a change that the little kids would be hurt.

Lydia turned to Isabel and said, "I'll go get the house ready, I left a few things lying around." The statement was a lie of course. Lydia had cleaned early so she would have something to do. Sitting around with nothing to do was boring.

Isabel nodded, and Lydia managed to smile at her before she ran back up the road and into the house. Clare smiled at Lydia until she noticed the girls panicked expression.

Lydia spoke quickly as she said, "You'll have to hide in my room for a while. My mom decided to let some soldiers stay at our house and they are on their way now. They have already made it clear that they don't like Ishvalans."

Clare nodded and gestured for Elsie and Aaron to follow as Lydia lead them to her bedroom and hid them carefully. Looking back inside, Lydia was glad she couldn't see the Aaron hidden under her bed. Or Elsie in the trunk beside the bed which she had propped up slightly for air. She also couldn't see Clare who was hidden in her wardrobe.

Lydia hurried out, and pretended to be fixing the pillows on the couch as Isabel and the soldiers stepped inside. She smiled at them to hide her anxiety, and hoped they wouldn't realize she was hiding something.

Isabell laughed as she said to one of the soldiers, "See the room is perfectly clean, Lidy probably only thought she had forgotten something." The shorted soldier nodded and said, "It's a nice place ma'am." Isabell smiled as she said, "You boys are probably hungry, how about I serve you something to eat." The taller man nodded and said, "We'd definitely like that ma'am."

Lydia paused, for some reason she felt like she had forgotten something important. When she walked into the kitchen she found out immediately. Isabell turned to Lydia and asked, "Why is there a partly eaten meat pie on the table?" Lydia paused before she managed to say, "A group of three traveling musicians passed by and offered to play in exchange for a bit of food."

Lydia felt guilty about how smoothly the lie had rolled off of her tongue, but she couldn't tell the truth right now. Isabel nodded and said, "I hope they played well enough for it to be worth it." Isabel smiled and said, "Well, at least you don't have to cook something now." Lydia nodded as she got out the plates and set the table. She hope that she could find a way to get the three Ishvalans out of her house and somewhere safe.

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><p><strong>So, what do you think? I think that when pretty good. It'll be a few more chapters before we meet Kimbley. Also, I want to say that Scar will look like the Scar from the 2003 anime but it will take place in the brotherhood version. Because I prefer Scars brotherhood story-line, but the 2003's if you think my description of Kimbley seems at least a little ooc, just keep in my that I might have reason for having him act like that. You will just have to see that reason later.<strong>

**Please review, and be nice with your reviews! **

**I've had this story stuck in my head for months so I intend to finish it. But I will work on some other stories first. I just had to get this posted now, because I felt compelled to.**


	2. Hiding

**Thanks to the two people who pointed out my typo in the title where I typed tent instead of tend. On that topic, if you ever see me type 'ans' where the word 'and' fits, that is a typo I have a embarrassing tendency to make. Generally I see it, but just a warning.**

**I do not own Fma Brotherhood.**

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><p>As Lydia laid in bed silently, she could practically hear her heart roaring in her ears. Where the soldiers asleep? Pretending? Were they really snoring that loudly, or were they pretending? Could someone even pretend to snore? Lydia could have slapped herself, pretending to snore, where did such a silly idea come from?<p>

She slowly slid out of her bed, having spend years sneaking into the barn to meet Solf, she had developed the ability to move around soundlessly. It was becaue her mother had always said that it was bad for a girl her age to be in a romantic relationship.

Walking over to the wardrobe, she opened it and gestured Clare out. The lady smiled, and hurried to where Aaron still hid under the bed, and gestured for him to stand up. Clare then moved to the trunk and opened it to see a sleeping Elsie inside. Clare smiled lightly, and shook the little girl so that she woke up.

Clare whispered to Elsie, "We have to go now, little one." Elsie whimpered and said, "But I'm too sleepy to walk." Clare sighed as she said, "I know little one. But you have to." Elsie looked up, her pretty red eyes threatened to cry. Lydia sighed and picked up the girl as she whispered, "We don't have time to stay here, we need to go now."

Clare nodded, and followed Lydia through the house with Aaron trailing behind her. As they slipped out, Lydia looked into the guest bedroom as she passed it. Both the soldiers were asleep, thankfully. But seeing them lying there made her anxious. They couldn't get caught, the consequences would be far too high.

Once they were outside, Lydia relaxed, but only slightly. There was still the chance they could get caught. With this knowledge, she hurried as quickly as she could to the one special place. Ten minutes later, they were standing in front of the large shed. Lydia pulled out the key, and unlocked the door so they could get in. The shed was hidden from the sight of Lydia's house as it was on another side of the hill.

The shed had an old couch, a couple of chairs, a table, a few cabinets, a sink, a massive quantity of blankets, and a bucket that took the place of an outhouse. Clare looked around and asked, "What is this place?"

Lydia looked around as she said, "It's a favorite hiding spot for my ... friend, Solf. He showed it to me shortly after his parents died in a particularly explosive fire." Clare nodded, and smiled as she put her children to sleep. As she looked at the children, she coughed lightly. Shaking her head lightly, she turned to Lydia and whispered, "Thank you."

Lydia nodded before she whispered back, "I have to go back home, but I'll try to bring you some food soon. Clare nodded, and Lydia exited the sled and walked back home. She closed the door carefully and started to turn away when she was surprised by a male voice that said, "Now isn't it a bit late for a walk miss?"

Lydia could feel her heart rate speed up as she turned to see the shorter soldier looking at her. For a minute she panicked, until she managed to say, "I ... was seeing my boyfriend." She lied smoothly, "My mom doesn't approve of me dating so we have to meet in secret."

The man raised an eyebrow as he said, "You don't look that young to me." Lydia looked down as she said, "Thats why I'm so frustrated, I'm seventeen, not seven." The man chuckled as he said, "So I see. Don't worry, I won't tell her." Lydia smiled as she whispered good night and slipped into her room.

After she closed the door, she sat down at her vanity, and looked at herself in the old mirror. Lydia had gotten it from her father before he had decided the small town lifestyle was too dull.

The girl with shoulder length blonde platinum hair, and pale silver-blue eyes and light skin didn't look like a person who would lie. In fact, the soldiers had probably seen her as too Amestrian due to her appearance to even think that she could possibly helping the 'enemy'. The thought of being judged like that frustrated Lydia. She was angered by the thought of people thinking she was a 'normal' Amestrian just from her appearance.

Lydia stood slowly, and made her way to her bed where she slipped in between her frustratingly pink sheets, and tried to sleep despite everything that had happened that day.

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><p><strong>First of all, thank you to the people who review so quickly. This is the first time I got this many review this fast. In fact I felt so good, I might get stated on the next chapter right now. <strong>

**I wanted to give Lydia a pet peeve, something that she really can't stand. After all, Ed hates short comments, Olivier hates feminine things, Al doesn't like being compared to Ed, and Hohenhiem clearly didn't like having the the idiot in the flask (My words) insult his intelligence. So Lydia hates it when people think she is a 'normal' Amestrian citizen based on her appearance.**

**Also what did you think of the 'particularly explosive fire' that took Kimbley's parents?**

**Anyway, please keep reviewing, I loved those reviews.**


	3. Endings

**Here is the next chapter, and good job Cap'nHoozits and JaylatheCerealKiller, for understanding the explosive reference. Both of you get a virtual meat pie for saying so in a review.**

**I do not own FMA, either version. **

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><p>Lydia walked calmly to the hidden shed, or as Elsie called it, the 'super secret hidey-hole'. Lydia couldn't help but laugh at the little girls antics. She had come to love both Elsie's lightheartedness, and Aaron's more serious demeanor. She had also come to admire Clare for her ability to take care of her kids despite being weak from giving birth the day before.<p>

She smiled as she slipped into the shed. Elsie smiled as she hopped up, and hugged Lydia's legs making her laugh. She walked to Clare who smiled tiredly and said to Elsie, "Go play with your brother." Elsie nodded, and scurried away.

Clare turned to Lydia and said, "You're going to have to take care of them." Lydia stared before she said, "But I'm just a seventeen year old girl, I don't know how to be a mom!" Clare chuckled as she said, "Neither did I. But I'm too sick, and weak to survive for long. I will help you as best as I can, but eventually you will have to take care of the childeren."

Lydia was silent, she was the only other adult the children had. If she didn't take care of them, what would happen?" Finally she whispered, "Okay, what do I need to do."

...

Lydia smiled as she watched Edgar drink hungrily. It had taken weeks before her body had finally started producing enough milk to feed the baby. Lydia smiled sadly at Clare who was quite weak now. Clare had only gotten more sick over time, and had been unable to leave the couch for days. She smiled at Lydia, as she whispered, "Your ready now."

Lydia looked at her as she whispered, "I don't feel ready." Clare laughed as she said, "Can you get the children?" Lydia walked over to the other side of the room and said, "Elsie, Aaron, you're mother wants to talk to you." They got up and walked quietly to their mother. Clare smiled at the children as she whispered, "Be good for Lydia, she's going to be your mother now. Goodbye, little ones."

Clare lay still, silent. Lydia heard that people looked like they were sleeping when they died, but Clare just looked empty. Like the kind spirit in her had left her body behind.

Elsie looked at her mother, and cried. Lydia knelt down, and hugged the little girl, tears slipped out of her eyes eyes as well. She turned toward Aaron, who was frowning and trying not to cry as he said, "But I want you mom, not her. I don't want her to replace you. I don't want her to try to take your place."

Lydia placed her hand on Aaron's shoulder and he tried to shrug it off. Lydia sighed and said, "I don't want to take your mothers place, ever. I don't want her to be forgotten." Aaron frowned up at her as he said, "But Edgar won't remember, he's just a baby!" Lydia smiled sadly as she said, "Then we'll tell him about her. That way he'll know about her." Aaron hesitated, and muttered, "Okay, I guess."

Lydia smiled weekly, then realized they couldn't stay there. She would have to stay with the kids almost constantly now. There would be no way for her mom to not notice. Lydia sat weakly in the chair, she would either have to tell her mother and hope she accepted the truth, or she would have to leave. She stood and whispered, "There's something I need to do. I'll be right back."

Both of the children nodded, and Lydia handed Edgar to Aaron before she slipped outside. She breathed deeply, and walked to her house. When she got halfway there, she ran into her mother. Isabell looked mad, and she said, "Where do you keep sneaking off to? You can't keep secrets while in my house."

Lydia hesitated before she said, "I was checking on the Ishvalans I've been helping." Lydia felt relieved to tell the truth finally after all this time. Isabel looked stunned, then said, "We're going to turn them in. Now." Lydia sighed as she said, "I can't do that they need my help. Can't they stay with us mother? They're good people, they're not like the rumors we've heard."

Isabel scoffed and said, "They can't stay. Now either you go will them, or you turn them in. I'll give you some time to decide, just make the right choice." Isabel walked away, leaving Lydia alone.

Lydia stared after her mother before she walked back to the shed. As she looked at the children, she caught herself as she nearly told them to pack their things when they had nothing to pack in the first place. Lydia closed her eyes and breathed deeply before she opened them again feeling determined.

Lydia walked to Clare, and covered her body with the blankets before gabbing another three to put in a bag that Clare had brought with her. Slowly, she turned to Aaron and Elsie, and picked up Edgar as she said, "We have to go." Elsie looked at Lydia, and grabbed hold of her plain blue gingham dress that she wore over a plain white button own shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

Lydia walked slowly towards her house, she had to get something before she left. She saw her mom inside the barn, and walked into the house. Looking around the homely place hurt Lydia. Shaking off the odd feeling of homesickness, she took the children into her room again. As she opened her wardrobe, Lydia fought a feeling of sadness as she remembered how Clare had hidden in there. Pushing the emotion back, Lydia pulled out a long grey coat.

After she closed he door to the wardrobe, she opened the chest at the end of her bed and pulled out two things. The first was a little girls coat that her father had insisted that she keep for when she had a daughter someday. The second was a coat that a fourteen year old Solf had given to her when she had gotten cold not all that unexpectedly that day. Lydia was embarrassed to say that after Solf had left, she would pull out the coat and hold it so that she would remember the simpler times before Solf left for war.

Lydia turned and handed the coats to Elsie and Aaron which were unsurprisingly too big. Lydia told herself that was a good thing, because they could continue to use them for some time. She grabbed her bag, with her money, and found an old baby carrier that she attached to herself so that Edgar's face would be hidden.

Eventually, she had no reason to stay, so she got Elsie and Aaron and walked outside the house. Lydia looked at her mother who frowned as she said, "Are you going to be reasonable? Because if you continue this madness, you will be dead to me. Do you understand me?" Lydia looked at Isabell as she said, "Yes, I understand." Isabell raised an eyebrow and Lydia whispered," Goodbye, mother."

Isabell looked stunned, then frowned as she said, "If you're leaving, then get off of my land, you ungrateful brat." Lydia nodded as she walked away holding Elsie's hand tightly in her own. They walked silently until Lydia could no longer see either her home, or Turil. Then Lydia paused, like most small town girls, she had never left her home before. She never had to.

Lydia started walking again, but much to her disappointment, tears were now slipping down her face. Lydia didn't want to cry, but the tears kept on falling. Having lost the last bit of her family as well as a surprising friend was painful. Lydia could feel Elsie wrap her arms around her waist, and realized that she was kneeling.

Elsie looked at her sadly and said, "It's okay mommy, we're gonna love you." Lydia smiled at the girl, and swallowed her tears before she wiped her eyes and stood slowly. She grabbed Elsie's hand and wordlessly promised herself that she would be strong for her children. Lydia was their mother now, she didn't have time to be crying over things that couldn't be helped.

Slowly, she changed the direction the were going in so they headed for a small town that was a few hours away. She would get supplies there, and decide what to do next.

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><p><strong>The part where Lydia leaves changed a bit from the way I thought it would go. Previously I was going to have Lydia admit to lying to her mom. I'm not sure if I should ad that or not. It wouldn't change much, but if you guys think it would be better with it, I could add it.<strong>

**Okay, I don't know when I'll put up the next chapter. It could be soon, but it might be a while. Anyway, please keep giving review, I'm loving the ones I'm getting. **

**Next chapter, get ready for a time skip to Kimbley. Well, I am pretty sure that I will manage to get him in there somehow. At least at the end.**


	4. Finding

**Recently, I have been tempted to write this chapter. So, I finally did.**

**I do not own Fma (If I did Conqueror of Shamballa would never have been made. The way I see it is with the series, whey drove over it with a semi with the move they just dropped a nuke on the whole plot and destroyed it.)**

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><p>Lydia watched with approval as Elsie wrote words on the broken slate with a piece of chalk. When Elsie had turned five a little over a year ago, Lydia had started to teach her how to read and write. She had already been working with Aaron for the last three years to make sure that he was educated as well. Being an intellectual man, Lydia's father had insisted that she had been taught well. And that was something that Lydia wanted for her children as well.<p>

She smiled until she felt a small hand tug at the hem of her dress and turned to see three-year old Edgar standing behind her with as he looked miserable. Lydia knelt down and pressed her hand to his forehead and frowned. He was still as hot as earlier. She looked at the boy as she said, "Edgar, you need to say in bed and rest so you can get better."

Edgar hesitated, then nodded reluctantly as Lydia stood and reluctantly left the camp. Lydia walked quickly toward the town. besides the fact that she Edgar needed the medicine, Lydia didn't like leaving her children alone without her. She had always been concerned that someone would come across them and hurt them in some way. It was for that reason why she had waited so long to get the medicine.

Lydia walked quietly around Central as she made her way to get the medicine. The reason for being in Central was that she had been able to get work there temporarily as a cook. The pay was good for once, but Lydia still didn't want to stay for long. Money was never an incentive to stay someplace. Lydia smiled weakly, it was hard to survive with the little money she earned when she worked odd jobs, but she was happier than when she was the daughter of a mostly well off landowner. It was an odd coincidence that the money most thought would bring her happiness, had left her bored instead.

The door bell rung as Lydia stepped into the small shop. She looked around, and picked up only the things that her family needed. She carefully picked out food, and a small blanket. She hesitated besides soap, but left it behind as the blanket was more useful. Again, she hesitated beside the little boys jackets, but she couldn't afford one no matter how much Edgar needed one. Finally she got the medicine and was thankful that she had precisely the right amount of money to buy everything.

The man behind the counter smirked at her as he looked at what she had and said, "That will be thirty seven cenz." Lydia balked as she said, "But the price should be six and a half cenz less!" the man shrugged and said, "That's inflation for you. Now if you were to consider my offer, I might be able to cut the fee in half."

Lydia shuddered at the lecherous look he directed toward her. The man, Thomas she believed, was merely one of the men who had tried to manipulate her in such a way. Lydia swallowed and wished again that she hadn't been granted such a womanly figure. She looked at her supplies, the were desperately low on food, their blankets were worn out, and Edgar needed that medicine. But Lydia was unwilling to let a man use her body.

The man sighed and picked up the medicine as he said, "You'll be able to pay if you get rid of this." Lydia tried to grab the medicine as she said, "I can't get rid of that, I need it! Please, I'll give up the blanket but not the medicine!" The shopkeeper shook his head as he said, "That's life, some times you have to do without. However my offer still stands if you are willing to provide. I'll even throw this in for no charge."

Lydia watched the man walk off before she muttered absent-mindedly, "I can't give in to his desires like this. But my son! He needs the medicine! But how could I teach my children to defend themselves if I give in. But then my son might not even survive to learn that if I don't." Lydia stood silently as the shopkeeper came back.

As Lydia opened her mouth to give in, and hand on her shoulder silenced her. She turned around and blanched when she was an uniformed man behind her. The man who had a short, and scruffy beard along with slicked back hair looked at the man behind the counter and said, "So you're the shopkeeper who has manipulated young women into giving favors for what they need." The man ran out from behind the counter and out a door in the back.

The man watched and said, "He won't get far, I have two men at the back door already." He turned to Lydia and said, "I'm Lieutenant Colonel Maes Hughes. I've been trying to find this guy for a while now, but he was hard to locate. I'm sorry for what he tried to do."

Lydia nodded, and started to leave but Hughes put out his hand and said, "You should take those things and the medicine with you. As a parent, I understand how important it is to take care of your children." Lydia nodded and put the things in the bag before she left. She smiled lightly, she should have known that not all soldiers were bad.

Lydia paused for a minute as she passed by a car. She listened for a moment, certain that she had heard some familiar voice. She looked about until a familiar form caught her eye. Looking back to the spot, she saw a man in a white suit. When the man turned, Lydia's breath caught and her heart sped up. She blinked in surprise and called out, "Solf?

The man turned to look at her, and she smiled at the man who grinned and waved back. Lydia laughed as she ran over. She had found him.

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><p><strong>I got Kimbley in the story. I also got Hues in the story because he is awesome and I wanted him in here. We'll actually talk to him next time rather than just see him. Please review.<strong>


	5. Changes

**Sorry about making you wait for this. I just got stuck on this chapter. I could not figure out how to have Kimblee talk at first! it was so annoying, I would stare at the screen for long periods of time and either get nothing down or get rid of it. Thankfully, I was eventually inspired.**

**I do not own FMA (And no amount of wishing on shooting stars will change that *sigh*)**

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><p>Lydia smiled as she looked up at Solf who said, "Lydia Addams, What a pleasant Surprise!" I thought you would be in Turil with your mother." Lydia shook her head as she said, "I decided that I wanted to travel, see more of Amestris." The lie slid smoothly out of her lips, much to her surprise. Why was she lying to Solf, she could trust him.<p>

Solf chuckled lightly as he said, "Well, you always did like exploring the area around Turil as a kid, so that makes sense." Lydia smiled at the memory of them running around the in hills that surrounded Turil. She had claimed one day that would somehow make it north where she would 'fight really big bears'. The mere idea seemed laughable now, but it was still a plesant memory.

Solf gestured to the bag and said, "You went shopping?" Lydia glanced at the bag and said,"It just some food, a blanker, and medicine for a friend." Solf nodded briefly before he said, "I don't have anything to do later so was wondering if we could have dinner latter."

Lydia blinked briefly, so far she and Solf gone on more than a couple of secret picnics. However, the idea of an actual open courtship was new to her. Solf studied her face carefully before he asked, "Am I asking too soon? We can still wait for bit if you want." Lydia shook her head as she said, "No, I want to go dinner with you, but I didn't expect that you would ask right away."

Solf nodded and asked, "How about to the Xingese restaurant two blocks away from here? I have been told that the fish there is excellent." Lydia laughed as she said, "Of course I'd like to go, you know that I have always been interested in exotic food!" Solf nodded and said, "We could meet there in two and a half hours if you want." Lydia smiled and nodded as she replied, "I'll see you there."

Lydia hurried away back towards the camp. As happy was she was that she was going to have dinned with Solf, there was the fact that she had lied to him, several times. Lydia frowned lightly, why didn't she trust him with the knowledge that she was the mother of three Ishvalan children? It could improve their lives greatly. But there was the fact that Solf did play a part in the Ishvalan war, and neither her children or Solf were guaranteed to have favorable reaction to each other.

Lydia smiled as the camp came into sight. Elsie waved and as Lydia held out the medicine she had bought. Lydia woke Edgar, and gave him the medicine. After a minute, she stood and said, "Elsie, Arron, I need you to come over here." The two kids walked over and Lydia bread out slowly as the feeling of nervousness washed over her. What would she tell them about Solf? Perhaps she shouldn't have accepted the invitation to dinner.

Lydia smiled as she said, "I met a ... close friend today in central. His name is Solf, and we grew up together in Turil." Elsie smiled as she leaned in and asked, "Is he nice? Is he pretty? Do you like him?" Lydia laughed as she said, "Yes he is nice, and he is handsome not pretty. And yes, I like Solf." She paused before she said, "He asked me to go to dinner with him and ... I said yes."

Elsie giggled lightly and clapped her hands as she half sang, "Mommy's on a date." Aaron shrugged as I said, "I guess that's okay." Edgar merely smiled and hugged Lydia. Lydia smiled as she said, "I'm glad that you are happy with this." Elsie looked up and asked "Why won't we be happy? You can smile together, giggle together, have pretty babes together."

Lydia blushed as she choked out, "Elsie, Mommy and Solf are not read to have babies together. At least, not for a really long time, years at least." Elsie nodded slightly and Lydia stood as she said, "We'll work a bit more with writing, and then I'll get ready and go. While I'm away, Aaron will be in charge, and all three of you will got to bed on time, so you cannot stay up."

Lydia brushed her fingers through Edgar's soft white hair before she tucked the new blanket around him. After a minute, she lead Elsie outside and sat next to her.

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><p>Lydia looked around for Solf outside the restaurant. She had made herself look as presentable as she could. But her lack of money hobbled her attempts as she had only one dress. Lydia smiled when she noticed Solf across the street. She waved to Solf who approached her quickly and gestured to the restaurant as he said, "Shall we?"<p>

They walked inside and ordered their food from a menu. Lydia felt slightly nervous, she had only been to nice restaurants on fancy occasions and always in a nice fancy dress. But she wasn't in a fancy dress this time, and she felt distinctly out-of-place next to Solf who looked sophisticated in his white suit.

She looked up at Solf and said, "I missed you in Turil when the war ended. I had hoped that you would come home when it ended." She blushed after her words and added, "I'm sorry, that was rude of me." Solf gently squeezed her hand as he said, "No, it's fine. I wanted to come home to Turil but I had to stay behind. There was a lot of things that the military need me to do after the war and as I state alchemist I was honor bound to do what needed to be done."

Lydia nodded as she said, "I'd bet there was a lot of people who felt thankful for your dedication. I'm sure it helped save a lot of lives." Solf chuckled as he said, "Well, a lot of people felt something because of my staying. Unfortunately, it was not always pleasant emotions." Lydia shook her head as she answered, "They should have been more thankful for you help. Not everyone would do that." Solf smirked lightly as he said, "Yes, not everyone has could do all that it takes to succeed like I do."

They paused as a waiter brought a basket of white rolls along with a bottle of fine wine. Lyida grabbed one the rolls and smiled as she bit in, her children would love them. As the waiter served the wine, Lydia slipped a pair of rolls into her jacket pocket. Once the wine was poured, Lydia picked up her glass and sipped some. It was sweet and tasted good, but it seemed wrong to be drinking such an expensive wine when she could barely support her children.

Lydia put down her glass quickly as she asked, "Have you been in Central long?" Solf paused as he said, "No, I only got here a few days ago. How about you Lydia? Have you been in this great city long?" Lydia paused as she said, "I've been here two and a half months."Solf leaned forward as he asked, "You don't have any romantic relationships now, do you?" Lydia laughed as she answered, "No of course not! I wouldn't be here if I was in one! Why did you ask?"

Solf shrugged as he said, "I was just curios. But you don't have children do you?" Lydia's mouth felt dry and her heart rate picked up as she answered, "No, I don't have any children. Anyway, it would be too difficult to take care of kids without the help of a father." Solf nodded as he said, "That makes sense, besides, it would be hard to have kids and not be in a relationship." Lydia nodded lightly and felt thankful when the waiter brought their food.

Lydia watched as soup, stuffed buns, rice, and plenty of something called sushi was placed on the table. The conversation paused as they put food on their plates. All of the food tasted good, but Lydia found that she preferred the sushi and buns. Solf nodded and Lydia asked him carefully, "And what are you doing Solf? Can you tell me, or is it a secret?"

Solf paused and leaned in before he whispered, "I'm looking for somebody for the military." Lydia leaned forward as she asked, "Who is it?" Solf paused before he answered, "I'm looking for a man, an Ishvalan man. The military has tried to find this man for a while now?" Lydia swallowed, an Ishvalan man? What had the guy done to attract the military's attention? She whispered a single worded question, "Why?"Solf stared straight into Lydia's eyes as he said, "Murder. This man has gone about Amestris murdering state alchemists." Lydia swallowed as she whispered, "Be carefull Solf, if he's targeting state alchemists, he might try to kill you."

Solf smiled and said, "Don't worry, I will be fine." He gently squeezed Lydia's hands before he leaned forward to brush his lips against her. Lydia smiled as she kissed him back briefly then leaned back as she laughed. She flinched when she noticed the time and said, "I'm sorry, its gotten late and I have to go." Solf nodded and said, "I'd like to see you soon if we can manage it." Lydia nodded and said, "We could do something on Friday maybe. Solf nodded and asked, "What do you what to do?" Lida smiled as she said, "Surprise me."

Lydia hesitated by the food, there never was enough to go around, so it seemed wasteful to leave it there. She was surprised when Solf said, "You can take that with you, they do allow that." Lydia smiled as Solf called over the waiter and had him bring containers with the check, which Solf paid.

As they stepped out of the restaurant Solf asked, "Can I walk you home?" Lydia shook her head as she answered, "Not this time Solf." He nodded and leaned it to press a warm kiss against her lips before he left.

Lydia smiled as she walked to the small tent that she and the kids called home. She laughed as they predictably scurried out of the tent to greet her. She held out the bags with the containers and said, "I brought dinner." She watched her children faces light up as they hurried inside to grab the few plates and bowls that they had taken years ago from her mother's house. Lydia handed each of her children two of the six rolls that she had snuck out before she spit the food into thirds.

Lydia smiled as she watched Aaron, Elsie, and Edgar eat. She had found quickly that the simple act of being able to provide for her children brought happiness to her life. As she watched them eat, Lydia decided that she wouldn't tell Solf about them at least for a long time. She just wasn't willing to take a chance and loose her beloved children over it.

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><p><strong>So, how did I do with Kimblee? I thought I did alright. There is still more to come so please review.<strong>


	6. Looking Up

**Finally, the writers block has passed! I will probably be adding a new chapter soon, I am rather exited about this now. **

**Also, you will see three characters perspectives in this chapter. I generally wont have multiple POVs, but as people have been asking for a special someone, I though you all deserved a formal introduction.**

**I do not own FMA Brotherhood. (If I did, we would all know scar's name by now. I will probably look for one to give him a the end of the story just so he can have one, even if it isn't cannon.)**

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><p>Lydia smiled as she hummed to herself while she cooked the single serving meat pies. A few weeks ago, Solf had managed to introduce her to an old, wealthy Amestrian family - the Armstrong family. The Armstrongs had decided after a while to accept her a cook for the family, and had been quite pleased with the service which she had provided them.<p>

The better job had greatly increased the amount of money she earned, and now Lydia, Aaron, Elsa, and Edgar had a real apartment to stay in, not a tent which threatened to tip over in a strong enough wind. Along with a better home, came more and better food, so Lydia did not worry anymore that her children would go hungry. As Lydia stepped over to stir the pot of green beans, she was glad that all of her children had well fitting shoes for the first time, as well as new clothes, especially coats.

The improvements to her children's lives were not the only reason for her to celebrate. Her relationship with Solf was going perfectly. Over the few weeks, they had gotten closer than relationship had grown steadily less private, and they were doing more things together in public. She turned the fire off under the green beans and served them, the meat pie, and biscuits onto plates which the maids brought to the family.

It felt good to Lydia, to finally be doing something that she didn't have to keep secret. However, she still hadn't told Solf about her children. And as their relationship brought them closer, the more lies she found herself telling him to keep her children safe. The lies in turn made her more nervous when Solf would ask in jest if she was keeping a secret from him.

The creaking of a door distracted Lydia from her thoughts as Major General Olivier Armstrong stepped inside the kitchen, looking furious. Lydia swallowed quietly and wiped her hands before she asked, "Is there something wrong, Miss Armstrong?" The woman grunted before she set down her plate hard and asked, "Just what is this fancy little thing?" Lydia blinked as she looked at the decorative crust of the untouched meat pie. The maids had warned her that the woman could be harsh, and she had to be careful, so she responded, "It's a meat pie, Miss Armstrong."

Olivier Armstrong frowned as she said, "Do you really expect me to eat such a frilly little thing? It looks better suited for a garden party than for lunch. I refuse to eat it." Lydia pursed her lips in flash of anger as she looked at the meat pie. She had provided for her children the best she could, but finding food had been a constant struggle, and there had been some nights where there had been noting at all to eat. Hearing someone refuse food after all that, angered Lydia.

Lydia looked the woman straight in the eye as she stated, "That, Miss Armstrong, seems like a selfish idea. If I were to refuse to eat something that my mother set before me, I would be sent to my room with a reddened rear and an empty stomach. I insist that you finish your meal." Olivier Armstrong smirked as she said, "And what would you do if I refused to eat this." Lydia frowned as she said, "I might not be able to do as my mother would, but I can insist that you eat your meal."

Both women stared at each other, and Lydia instinctively crossed her arms, and lightly tapped her left foot in impatience as she raised her eyebrows lightly. It was the position that she would take when her children showed an infrequent display of disobedience. Finally Olivier Armstrong laughed and snatched the plate before she called back, "Finally, someone in central who has a spine." As the door to the kitchen swung shut, Lydia blinked then blushed as she brought a hand to her face. She had just told off the Major General Olivier Armstrong.

Lydia shook off her anxiety, and began preparing the next meal. After a while, she calmed down. Olivier Armstrong had not told anyone about what had happened. She glanced at the clock, it was past time for the next cook to be taking over. A few minutes later, he showed up and got to work wordlessly. Lydia removed her apron, and smiled as she went to meet Solf. He had promised her a surprise.

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><p>Solf glanced at his watch, Lydia was late. After brief scan of the area, he spotted her from a distance carrying a parcel in her arms. Solf put on a bright smile and waved as he approached the blonde woman. Lydia blushed as she said, "I'm sorry I'm late. The person with the next shift arrived late so I had to stay longer." Solf nodded and feinted feeling sympathy before he held out his hand, which Lydia took gratefully. Solf made his smiled widen, he knew Lydia liked stupid gestures like this, and it made her easier to use.<p>

He tugged on Lydia's hand as he said, "Follow me." Lydia laughed as she she asked, "Where are we going?" Solf merely turned away and called over his shoulder, "You'll see." Solf lead her carefully through the streets, until he reached his destination. He looked at the building which served as his base of operations while he searched for the scarred man.

Solf gestured toward the building as he said, "It seemed like the right time to make some introductions." Lydia blushed in a way that most men would find sweet and said, "That would be nice. Thank you, Solf."

Solf nodded, and lead Lydia into the building where multiple central solders were rushing about. A pair of large soldiers who were standing by a map turned, and saluted Solf. They were Darius and Heinkel, two of the four chimeras who were under Solf's direct command. Daruis turned toward Solf and said, "The scarred man has finally made his way to central. His latest victim was Brigadier General Basque Grand."

Solf nodded, and frowned lightly before using his head to motion toward Lydia who looked slightly nervous. Darius blushed guiltily as he smiled at her and said, 'Sorry Ma'am. I didn't see you standing there." Lydia nodded as she said, "It's fine. You didn't know I was coming, and were just doing your job."

Solf cleared his throat lightly to attract the two chimeras attention as he raised Lydia's hand and which was still entwined with his own and said, "This fine lady in Lydia Addams. Since we have gotten more serious with our relationship, it seemed reasonable bring her for introductions, as I intend to invite her over as much as I can." He then turned toward Lydia as he said, "These men are Darius and Heinkel. As you know now, they are helping me to locate the scared murderer who targeting state alchemists I mentioned before."

Lydia nodded, ana 'sweet' smile slipped across her face as she held out her unoccupied hand to shake theirs as she said, "It's a pleasure meeting both of you." Both the chimeras grinned, and accepted the handshake. Heinkel blinked then sniffed the air as he said, "Something smells good." Lydia blinked then blushed as she turned to Solf and said, "I almost forgot, I baked you some bread."

Solf took the parcel and unwrapped it before he put on yet another bright smile as he said, "Seasoned french bread, my favorite." Solf looked at the bread, while Lydia's cooking was likely the best he ever ate, he never really cared. However, the bread did offer him a unique chance to endear her to some of his strongest men, making his plans easier to execute.

Solf, smelled one of the two loaves and said, "I think I'll have some right now, actually." He turned to the two chimeras and said, "You should have some too." Darius chuckled as he said, "Thanks boss, but that's not necessary." Solf shook his head as he said, "I insist, you'll have never truly lived until you've tried Lydia's home-made bread."

Darius and Heinkel shared a look before shrugging their shoulders, and agreeing. Solf turn away and carefully cut the bread. He could hear laughter behind him as Lydia was recounting a story of something that had happened on her first day in central. He turned back with a plate of bread which he set on the table by the map and immediately took a slice of bread, as he would be expected to do.

Darius was the first of the other two men to grab a slice of the bread. He bit into the slice and chew it as his partner watched. Unsurprisingly, Darius grinned as he stated, "This is great! Do you always make bread like this?" Lydia laughed lightly as she said, "When I have the time to. I'm pretty busy working as a cook for the Armstrong family." The two chimera's nodded as they bit into some more of the bread.

The conversation meandered for a while before Lydia said that she had to leave, giving the promise of bringing more bread the next time. She paused at the door, and Solf could feel her eyes on his back as he pretended to be engrossed in work. After a second Lydia whispered to the two chimeras, "I know this probably sounds silly, but would you mind protecting Solf for a while? With that murderer going around killed so many state alchemists, I've had some trouble sleeping because I'm afraid that I'd wake up one day, and learn that he'd been killed."

Solf barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes as Heinkel chucked and said, "Don't worry, between us, Zampano, Jerso and Kimblee, Scar would probably be running scared." Solf could just imagine a soppy smile on her face as she thanked him, then left. However, a smile did slip over his own face as the two chimeras quietly discussed how they were looking forward to her next visit. It appeared his plan was going smoother than even he had thought.

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><p>Scar looked up at the large house that he approached. It seemed larger and more extravagant than necessary, all the more necessary for the state alchemist living there to die. His scowl darkened as he noticed the military soldiers standing guard. Not that the two men were in any way dangerous to his mission, but the fact that the military seemed to be protecting Shou Tucker. Tucker, or the sewing life alchemist, was known for making chimeras, an unnatural amalgam of man and beast.<p>

It was for that reason that Tucker was worse than some of his other counterparts. Instead of fooling around with inanimate objects incapable of feeling, he was playing around with the lives of living creatures. If scar was capable of giving anyone a more painful death, it would be this man who would receive such a treatment.

With the two soldiers dead, Scar walked into the house and eventually made his way to where the state alchemist was sitting with a oddly peaceful chimera. the man sat bent over looking at the chimera. His glasses were broken, and his cheek was bandaged as he said, "I wonder why no one is capable of understanding me."

The man looked at the animal before he said in an almost tender voice, "Nina." Scar hid a frown, what was the use in naming a chimera? He walked into the room, and there was flash of lighting and thunder as the alchemist sat up and made a noise of surprise upon noticing Scar. The man was not a threat so Scar kept his hands in his pockets as he said, "You're Shou Tucker, correct?"

Tucker didn't move from his seat as he Asked anxiously, "Who are you? Not military." He grunted in alarm as he stood before scar started to approach him and Tucker cried, "Who are you? How did you get in here? There were military police out front!"

Scar ignored the Tucker's questions as he repeated the now familiar phrase, "Foolish alchemist who turn their backs on the ways of god ..." Scar paused to raise his hand as he grunted in anger and grabbed the alchemist's face and finished, "Shall be punished."

Scar had just dropped his hand when the chimera approached Tucker and said in a mangled voice which surprised scar, "Daddy's hurting." As Scar looked at the chimera and remembered that Tucker had a young daughter, tears dripped down the chimeras face and its voice wavered as it quickly added, "Daddy hurts. No, Daddy."

There was no other possibility, The state alchemist had transmuted his own daughter along with what seemed to be a dog, into her current form. This was all the proof Scar needed, The state alchemists death had been a necessity. Scar looked at the misshapen girl, and said, "You poor creature. Once you have been given this form, there is no way of separating you."

As he continued to look at the girl, he was certain that she had to be in great pain. Such an agonizing life would be little other than torture to the child. Scar approached her as he said, "At least, your passing will be in peace." He rested his hand on the girls head, and, being a chimera, she sniffed it before nuzzling his hand and saying, "Can we pay now? Can we play now?" Scar stiffed, and gritted his teeth as he mentally cursed the state alchemist for doing this to his daughter, for forcing Scar to end 'Nina's' suffering. Scar activated his destruction alchemy, and destroyed the girl's brain faster than he thought possible.

Scar quickly left the house, the sight of 'Nina's' dead body was agonizing. Children like her had to be protected, not killed to stop them from suffering. He sent a quiet prayer upward as he said, "God, hear me. Two human souls have just been returned to you. Please accept them into your loving arms. Please grant these poor, lost souls everlasting peace and salvation."

Scar did not like the thought of adding the state alchemist into his prayer, but he was certain that 'Nina' would be happy to see her father by her paused to think on how unconditional 'Nina's love for her father had been. As he removed his sunglasses and looked upward at the raining sky, Scar could only think of how it would be impossible for him to receive any unconditional love. Not that it mattered to him though, he had plenty of more important things to worry about. After a minute he replaced his sunglasses, and walked away.

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><p><strong>So, now we have met Scar, and we saw the inner workings of Kimblee's mind. (By the way how was those?) You are probably wondering what Solf's plan is, so I might divulge it in the next chapter. Also, I wanted to have Nina in there, I ad,ore her.<strong>

**Also, I know that scar was not in Central when he killed Tucker (The man had it coming, just saying), But for the sake of the story, lets pretend it did. (I think that will make things easier when it comes to Kimblee's secret plan ... his very devious plan ... His terrible plan ... His brilliant plan ... **

**Sorry, sometimes I have a flare for the dramatic. Please review.**


	7. The Plan

**Sorry for taking so long. I was concerned by the lack of reviews that I got for my last chapter. I'm not sure if it meant it was bad, or noone had anything to say.**

**I do not own FMA, either version.**

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><p>Solf drummed his fingers lightly against the desk as focused on finding any sort of useful information. The map on the wall of Solf's base of operations was practically useless when it came to his search for the scarred Ishvalan. Colonel Mustang had clearly set his sights on catching the man himself and had therefore given as little information as he could get away with. And what he did get was only marginally useful.<p>

The sound of light laughter caught Solf's attention as he turned to see Lydia pausing by the chimeras under his command as she passed on a paper to one of the nameless soldiers next to them. Lydia had quickly realized that if she wanted to see Solf while he was at work, the best way would be to act like a part-time secretary. In fact, Solf was certain Lydia found the idea of helping him was plesant as she was a certifiable workaholic.

The woman in question was gently teasing Darius for not getting enough sleep. Solf restrained a smile as he saw at least one part of his plan was working. Considering how well liked Lydia was, he could even move up his plans by a few days. Solf turned back to study the papers in front of him until a mug of coffee and a roll were placed in front of him.

Solf made pleased smile as he sipped his coffee and said, "Thank you. This was just what I needed." Before Lydia could respond, a nondescript soldier cleared his throat and said, "Sir, there is something I need to show you." Solf nodded then followed the man who lead him out back before suddenly smirking and saying in a rough voice, "Geez Kimblee, I never thought I'd ever see you fawning over a girl like that."

Solf laughed then smirked as he said, "It's a part of a façade, Envy. Lydia's personality makes her perfect to play a specific part in my search to find Scar." The homunculus raised an eyebrow and said, "Just how is she going to be useful? She doesn't look like someone who can take Scar on." Solf chuckled as he said, "I never intended Lydia to physically fight him. Since the moment I saw Lydia in central, my plan has been to use her to fuel the soldiers desire to find Scar."

Solf paused for a moment before he said, "One of the most notable things about Lydia Addams is her good-natured disposition. Because of this, she has become fast friends with many of the soldiers under my command. She had even found herself in the good graces of the chimeras functioning as my bodyguards."

Envy nodded as he stated, "I suppose that is interesting, but I don't see how it's useful." Solf glanced toward the building casually before he turned back and replied, "It's useful because I have noticed that Lydia can be quite oblivious to the darker nature of humanity. Lydia's mother, Isabel can be blamed for that little 'issue'. Isabel, you see, has always been known for harboring a disdainful attitude towards most other people as well as a particularly well-developed ability to lie."

"Because of Isabel's belief that her daughter was better than any other boy or girl in Turil, Lydia was raised away from outside influences where Isabel could control who she met, and the circumstances. Therefore, the only people who Lydia grew close to other than myself were her mothers hired help who knew they would lose their jobs if they so much as implied anything bad about Isabel of the world Lydia grew up in."

Solf chuckled as he said, "In fact, her mother's attitude was why Lydia lost her father when she was six. Isabel saw her husband, Charles, as an obstacle in molding Lydia to her desire. Therefore, Isabel forced Charles to leave Turil and told her daughter that he didn't like his small-town life."

Solf chuckled again at the thought of how amusing the treachery was before he stated, "But I've digressed. My point is I have been manipulating Lydia since we were little. After I killed my parents when I was ten, I had originally planned to kill her in a random shed I had found the day before, but I decided I enjoyed manipulating her feelings more. In fact, I have come to enjoy watching her squirm when I suggest that she is keeping a secret from me when I know Lydia can't tell a lie to save herself."

Solf closed his eyes briefly before his smile slipped of his face and he said, "My plan had three simple parts. The first is to get Lydia to become close to my soldiers. That part had been carried out even better than I had planned. In fact, everything is going so well, that I can move the second part of the plan up to tomorrow. I will plan a secret meeting with Lydia tomorrow, where I will kidnap her. The third part of the plan is killing Lydia in such a way that it looks like the scarred man did it."

Envy laughed as he said, "That sounds like fun! I might actually join you in that." Solf smiled again as he said, "I think there is something you could do ..."

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><p><strong>So, How was <em>this<em> chapter? Please, please review!**


	8. Kidnap

**Sorry for taking so long. I had really, really bad writers block even though I knew exactly what I wanted to happen. Anyway, I did enjoy writing this chapter.**

**I do not own FMA, any version of it.**

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><p>Solf waited patiently at the location Lydia was supposed to meet him. He had purposefully walked Lydia out of the building yesterday so that he could whisper in her ear that he would 'love' to see her in secret for a picnic like they used to do. Lydia had naturally smiled and said that she would love to also. Once Lydia had disappeared from view, he had allowed himself one private smirk over his success.<p>

The setting for his plan was perfect. Not a single person was around so he knew no one would interfere. Unfortunately though, Lydia was late. In fact, Solf was beginning to become concerned that Lydia had discovered his plan and would turn on him. A minute later Lydia appeared around the corner with a guilty expression on her face as she hurried to his side. Once she had caught her breath, Lydia gave him a sheepish smile and said, "Sorry, I overslept for once. I came as quickly as I could."

Solf smiled as he kissed Lydia's cheek and whispered, "Don't worry, I am glad you came." Lydia smiled again as she held up a bag and said, "Thankfully I was able to make us some treats last night before I went to bed." Solf opened the brown bag and smiles at the cookies. They were snickerdoodles, his 'favorite type of cookie' This was a lie as usual. He didn't like cookies in general, and he found people who made them to be weak or sentimental. He closed the bag and asked, "What did I ever do to deserve a wonderful girl like you?"

Lydia laughed and gently kissed Solf before she answered, "You lived." The kiss lasted for several minutes before Solf broke away and said, "We should go inside or we might not get to have our picnic after all." Lydia laughed as she slipped her arms around Solf's shoulders and said, "That can wait, we haven't had a lot of time alone anyway." Solf faked a smile as he kissed Lydia again and whispered back, "It would be a shame to let all that good Xingese food go to waste though."

Lydia sighed lightly as she said, "I suppose we should go inside then." She dropped her arms with a small smile on her face, and slipped her hand into his. Solf repressed a smirk as he lead her into white building. Lydia steps echoed slightly as she walked few steps ahead of him. His fingers close silently around a small plank of wood as Lydia said, "Solf? Where are the picnic supplies? Because I can't see any." Solf allowed himself to chuckle darkly before he said mockingly, "There are none, Lydia dearest." Before the blond could react, he had struck the back of her head with the wooden plank.

Solf's chuckles rang through the room as he looked Lydia unconscious form. He thought Lydia looked so much better when she was half curled up like she was now. After a half of a minute, he had walked over and slung the unconscious girl over his shoulder before he walked out the back of the building to where he had parked his car. It was only a few sort minutes after that until he was in front of the rundown building. Envy grinned at him as he leaned casually against the building.

Solf smirked as he tossed Lydia over his shoulder and walked into the building. Once inside, he placed her in a dusty wooden chair and tied her hands behind the chair before tying her to the chair itself. Once he was certain that Lydia was secure, he set a small two way radio on a table a few feet away. He turned to Envy and said, "Wait for 3 hours to pass before you start." The homunculus grinned in response, and Solf headed to his car where he drove to work. He nodded politely at the few people who greeted him and began trying to make sense of the information he had at his disposal.

After two hours had passed, he frowned and checked the time. He continued to do this every once in a while for an hour before he turned to Heinkel and asked, "Have you seen Lydia today?" The chimera blinked and answered promptly, "No sir, I haven't." Solf let his fake frown deepen as he said, "Lydia should have arrived by now." Heinkel glanced at the clock and said, "Maybe the person with the shift after her was late again. It happens often enough." Solf nodded, and pretended to have been calmed by the remark. It wouldn't be long now.

Two and a half minutes later, a soldier to his left called over, "Sir, the scarred man has been spotted breaking into a building." Solf turned toward the man and asked smoothly, "Where did this happen?" The man checked the paper in front of himself and responded, "It was a house. 2213 Dancing Street. Solf pretended to tense in alarm as he asked sharply, "Are you certain of that?" Heads turned in his direction as the man blinked and spoke quickly into the phone before he said, "Yes sir. Scar entered though the front door and is believed to have exited through the back."

Solf rose abruptly and gathered his coat and hat. By this time both Heinkel and Darius had approached him and the latter of the two asked, "Is something wrong sir?" Solf looked up with a fake expression of worry on his face as he said, "That's Lydia's house." Both chimeras grabbed their coats and followed the state alchemist at a close distance. Solf could barely stop from rolling his eyes, it seemed that both bodyguards wanted to make good on their promise to the blond fool.

The drive wasn't long but it was extremely tense. Once they arrived Heinkel and Darrius were the first ones out of the car and and quickly confirmed by way of smell that 'Scar' had vacated the premises some time before. Solf walked toward the building at a fast speed once the car door had been opened. In order for his plan to work, he had to look like he was genuinely repressing a feeling of panic.

A cursory of examination showed that Envy had done quite well in his staged attack. If Solf hadn't planned the event in advance he would have though that the homunculus had actually dragged Lydia out of the back door. Which made his acting even more easy. A low curse slipped from his mouth as finished the search, and his hand clenched in a fist. Darius awkwardly grasped his shoulder before he said, "We'll get her back, Sir."

Solf nodded, and returned to the car. By the time he had returned to the building, the base has seemingly come to life. Every phone had a person at it, and soldiers were rushing to and fro. The room seemed to be the very definition of controlled chaos. Solf strode over to his desk and picked up the phone promptly. There was no way Mustang could refuse him now.

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><p>Hughes sighed deeply to himself, this wasn't how he had wanted his day off to go at all. And to think it had all started with a simple visit to Roy. He had been bragging about how his sweet, sweet Elicia had made cookies with Gracia for elderly Mr. Peterson who lived next door. Mustang had practically dived for the phone and answered, "Hello?"<p>

Mustang had looked confused as he said, "Kimblee? But I already gave you information about Scar. If that hasn't been useful for you, it's not my fault." Mustang sat back in his chair with an indifferent look on his face that Hughes sigh as a sweat drop ran down his forehead. Mustang had taken the Scar case as yet another chance at a promotion and he wasn't willing to share the credit of catching the killer.

A moment later Mustang had picked up a notepad and asked when and where did the latest attack happen. Mustang nodded as he wrote down 12:20 pm at 2213 Dancing Street. A moment later he froze, his pencil in the air as a surprised look blossomed over his face and he essentially yelled, "Scar did what!?" Hughes leaned forward as he watched Mustang's feet hit the ground. Hughes watch as Mustang shook his head and said, "But that doesn't make sense. The scarred man has only ever gone after state alchemists why would he ... Oh."

Mustang sighed heavily and nodded to what Kimblee said as he said, "When you put it that way, I suppose that makes sense." Mustang hesitated for a few minutes as he appeared to be fighting an internal battle before he said tersely, "Fine. I'll send Lieutenant Colonel Hughes over. He knows the most about that case." Hughes' mouth dropped and he pointed to himself as Mustang hung up his phone. After a minute Mustang sighed heavily again as he said, "Apparently Scar just kidnapped Kimblee's girlfriend and Kimblee as demanded that I turn over all relevant information or be charged with obstruction of justice. He's waiting for you in the temporary base the set up on Timber street."

Hughes sighed for the third or forth time as he got out of the military car and looked at the building. A moment later, he entered the building and walked to where the state alchemist was waiting. Hughes tuned to Kimblee and asked "First, what precisely happened?" Kimblee nodded as he said, "A couple months ago, Lydia Addams, A girl I used to date before the war stated, moved to central where we were reacquainted, and began dating. I don't know when the Scarred man learned about her, but he was spotted entering her residency where she was kidnapped at 12:20 in the afternoon."

Hughes nodded as he asked, "Has the family been notified?" Kimblee nodded and said, "Her mother's been called, but her father is unreachable and Lydia doesn't have any children. Hughes nodded at blinked when he saw the picture. The woman in the picture was an exact match for the woman who had been involved in the case where a store clerk would take advantage of vulnerable women. One of the things he had remembered well was how she had argue quietly with herself if she should give in or not for the sake of her children. After the case had been closed, Hughes had wondered why she hadn't mentioned her children aloud. and now, she hadn't mentioned them to her Kimblee, her boyfriend.

After a minute, Hughes said, "Alright, I'll tell you what I know about the Scar case." Kimblee nodded, and the next few hours were spend without mention of the kidnapped blond.

After Hughes was done with work, he headed toward the scene of the crime, 2213 Dancing Street. there had been too many loose ends around the abduction for Hughes taste. First was the case of Lydia's of unmentioned children. Not to mention the fact that abducting citizens was out of character for Scar.

Once he had arrived at the house, Hughes was pleased to see that it was late enough that no one was outside, and the neighborhood was sleeping. Hughes slipped on a pair of gloved and entered the house. He grimaced, there was plenty of damage done to the property, and all of it lined up with an abduction. However, all the time he spent on the Scar case pointed to one truth, Scar hadn't done it.

Another thing that also stood out to Hughes, although the signs were minor, was there had been more than one person occupying the house. A careful search of the house led to the discovery of a picture book and a pair of slates used for teaching which had been hurriedly stashed away, likely in a panic. Based on these objects Hughes guest there was three children who had lived there. One toddler, a five to six year old, and a preteen.

A frown crossed Hughes face, at the moment, there was nobody else in the house. Had the children been abducted as well? Hues quickly dismissed the idea, if the children had been abducted, someone would have heard them screaming. After a more thorough investigation, Hughes noted that if the mattress on the bed was moved, along with some of the wooden slats had held it up, and part or the rug which the bed was partially sitting on, a trapdoor would be discovered.

Hughes smiled, the trapdoor led to a crawl space under the building. He pulled out his flashlight, and studied it for a bit. The marks on the ground indicated that the tunnel had been used recently by young people, and a few stands of hair were caught between where an older child might accidentally get their hair caught. Hughes reached out and caught a couple of the short strands. One of the children, the oldest he would bet, was a boy. Hughes smiled grimly at the sight of the hair. It was pure white. The children, at least one of them, was Ishvalan.

Suddenly Lydia's silence about her children made sense. Kimblee had fought in the war for Amestris, so it would be natural that his girlfriend wouldn't want to tell him about her Ishvalan children. It also made sense that a normal Amestrian woman would hide the fact that she had Ishvalan children from anyone to protect them from racist responses. It was a very parental thing to do.

Hughes carefully exited the tunnel and set the room in order again, but took the slates and the picture book with him. It would only cause trouble if the investigators found said objects.

A frown crossed his face as he looked at the damaged room again. He knew Scar couldn't have done the damage, but all of the eye witnesses had quickly picked out the sketch of Scar as the perpetrator out of the sketches the military police had provided. Hughes shuddered at the thought of a person who could look like Scar even when they weren't. Such a person could look like anyone ... even his dear Gracia. At the thought of his darling wife, Hughes pulled out his notebook and looked at the picture of his beloved girls before she stashed the picture in a never used, buttoned pocket inside of his coat over his heart. Perhaps he was being silly, but Hughes didn't feel comfortable leaving the picture in his notebook where there was the possibility where it could fall out. Once he had, Hughes left the house quietly as he wondered what to do next.

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><p><strong>Ah, we saw Hughes again! I just couldn't resist putting him in again, and now he knows something important ...<strong>

**Anywho, I won't say when the next chapter will come out, but If I remember correctly, we meet up with Scar again.**

**Please leave a review.**


	9. Rescue

**Ah, I finally got this done. Sorry about the wait, I wanted to make a little timeline for my story so that I know what I want to happen and when it should happen. Honestly, it was more difficult than I thought it would be. Anyways, It's time to see Scar again!**

**I do not own FMA.**

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><p>Scar panted lightly as he hid behind a building. Over the last day, the military had become more active in their search for him and there had been several close calls already. His brow furrowed deeper as he thought about the situation. Something important had to have happened recently. But whatever it was, the military was keeping a tight hold on their information.<p>

Scar turned around and studied the buildings, he was too large to slip between the narrow spaces between most of them. After looking a minute more, Scar began to walk again before he heard a familiar voice say, "It's time to wake up, Lydia." Scar felt anger swell over him at the sound of the Crimson Lotus Alchemist, Kimblee.

Scar turned abruptly and walked toward the building the voice came from. His right hand opened and closed as he savored the thought of taking that alchemist's life. However, he was sorely disappointed to see the only person in the room was a blond woman who was slowly waking up. Kimblee's voice was coming from a two-way radio.

Kimblee once again told the woman to wake up, and the blond jerked to wakefulness as she cried out in alarm. A chuckled emanated from the radio as Kimble sneered, "Good morning, Lydia dearest. Did you sleep well?" The woman, Lydia, shook her head as she looked around and said, "Solf, what are you doing? Why am I tied up?"

The alchemist chucked as he said, "Isn't it clear? I'm using you. I've been using you from the start." The woman's mouth dropped open before she stuttered out, "Using me? But, weren't we dating? I, I thought ..." "That you meant something to me?" the alchemist finished before he continued, "You never did. My whole plan was to get you close to the men working under me so they would feel further compelled to find the scared man after he 'killed' you."

Scar growled lightly, his predicament made a good deal more sense now. He must have been framed for the woman's kidnap. Therefore, the military was looking for him before he could 'kill' her.

The woman shook her head as she said, "But he's only ever killed state alchemist's! Why would he make an exception for me?" Kimblee laughed as he said, "Because, your my girlfriend and I killed his family. Some might say it would be 'poetic justice'. Not that he'll be the one to kill you, I'll be the one to do that."

Scar's lip curled into a snarl. No mater who the person was related to in any way, Scar wouldn't murder civilians unless they refused to get out of his way. The Crimson Lotus Alchemist's girlfriend was no exemption.

Scar studied the woman carefully, being the girlfriend of Kimblee meant that she had intimate knowledge of wear he lived, worked, and what his schedule was. She would be incredibly useful for Scar's purposes, and she was right in front of him, ripe for the taking.

A minute later, the radio turned off and the woman sighed before she whispered to herself, "How could everything go so wrong?" She appeared to be trying to figure out what had happened.

Scar stepped into the room and the woman's head lifted to look in his direction with a hopeful look on her face that swiftly turned to shock. Scar turned to the radio and tugged the cord out of the wall to ensure that the alchemist wouldn't find out anything. He turned back toward the woman who watched him closely before he said, "You're going to help me find the Crimson Lotus Alchemist."

The woman opened her mouth to refuse before she closed it as she seemed to remember something. After a couple minutes of thinking, the woman nodded wordlessly. She clearly didn't want to go along, but she seemed to feel there was no there choice. Scar reached over and untied the woman who said, "Your Scar, aren't you?" Scar nodded, and walked outside as the woman followed.

He heard a small sound and turned to look at the woman who said, "There is something I have to do right now. It can't wait." Scar opened his mouth to refuse, but the woman stared at him with an expression that said that she wouldn't back down no matter how scared she was. His frown deepened as he gestured for her to lead the way.

the woman turned and walked toward the housing district, making sure to use back roads and to stay out of sight. a while later, she stopped behind some apartments and knelt beside a basement door. She wrapped he knuckles on the door before she stood again. The basement door flew open as a small shape flew at the woman.

Scar tensed until he realized, to his surprise, that the small shape was an Ishvallan boy no older than three. A six year old girl rushed out to be followed by a thirteen year old, both of which were Ishvalan. The woman turned to Scar as she said, "I adopted them three years ago after their mother died. I never told Solf about them."

Scar nodded abruptly as he looked at the children, of all the things he had expected, including an ambush by the Amestrian military, this was not one of them. Lydia rested her hand on the eldest's shoulder as the boy stared suspiciously at Scar and said, "This is Aaron." she rested her other hand on the girl's head as she hid behind her mothers leg and said, "This is Elsie." Last of all, she gestured toward the littlest boy who was curiously looking as Scar as his mother said, "And this is Edgar." The woman then rested her finger on her collarbone as she said, "And my name is Lydia Addams.

The woman, Lydia turned to look at her children as she said, "This man is Scar. We'll be with him for a while, so I want you to listen to him." The three children nodded before Lydia turned to look at Scar who frowned. It would be hard enough to look after one additional person, but three kids as well? Scar turned abruptly as he said, "For now, we'll need to hide."

**So, what did you think? Please leave a review, I want to make sure I'm doing a good job with this.**


	10. Judgement

**Ah, I'm so glad I finally finished this chapter. It was actually more difficult than I expected to finish this chapter (Or get past the first few sentences, for that matter : P). With that said I enjoyed writing this chapter.**

**I do not own The Fullmetal Alchemist."**

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><p>Scar awoke to the smell of cooking food. He rolled over to see Lydia serving something as she called aloud, "Breakfast is ready." Scar stared at her until he remembered everything that had happened, The military beginning to search harder, and his decision to use Lydia to find the Crimson Lotus Alchemist.<p>

Scar moved to sit down where he grabbed a plate and began to eat. He couldn't help but admit as he did that it felt nice to eat a meal rather than subsisting on whatever he could get. He glanced up and noticed that each of the three children were eating quietly. He looked back at his food a minute later. Well behaved children were nothing exceptional in Ishval.

Shortly after the group finished eating they began moving again. The military was too active for them to stay in one place for too long. After some time of walking, Lydia approached him and murmured, "I need to talk to you about something." Lydia waited to be sure that he was listening before she said, "I have three things that I must say. The first being that no matter what happens, I will always place the safety of my children first. The only reason I came, was so that I would survive to care for my children."

Lydia paused before she added, "And that brings me to my second point, I will never approve of your murderous ambitions. I was raised to believe that murder is wrong, and I will not yield on that point. Last of all, I don't want you to imply in any way that revenge is acceptable. I want to instill god morals in all of my children and vengeance will not do that."

Lydia breathed out shakily and appeared relieved as she said, "That was all I wanted to say." Before Scar could respond, Lydia headed towards her children and picked up Edgar as she grasped Elsie's hand.

Scar frowned, he could only wonder what she thought gave her the right to judge him. He doubted that Lydia had been subjected to the horrors he had. During the years of war, she would have slept safely at home while he simply hoped to see his family alive the next day. Yes, few Amestrian women would adopt Ishvalan children willingly. But to do so while being involved with the Crimson Lotus Alchemist? That was foolishness in of itself.

For several hours, Scar continued to brood. He thought up several reasons to back up his earlier argument until he was finally satisfied with his correctness.

As Scar continued to walk, he heard quick footsteps approach and turned to see Aaron hurry to walk beside him. For several minutes the boy said nothing, A couple time he would open his mouth only to shut it a moment later having not spoken a word. After this repeated a few times Scar aid abruptly, "If you're going to talk, then talk."

Aaron glanced up with a somber expression on his face as he said, "You're the serial killer, the Scarred Man, correct?" Scar nodded, he hadn't expected Lydia to tell her children about an Ishvalan murderer. Aaron looked forward as he continued, "Elsie and Edgar never heard about you, but I made her tell me. She didn't tell me that you were the Scarred Man either, I figured it out on my own."

Scar looked down at the boy ask he opened his mouth to asked a question When Aaron said, "If you wanted to know if I knew my mom was dating the Crimson Lotus Alchemist, Solf J. Kimblee, than yes, I did."

Scar frowned as he asked, "Then why didn't you question her about it." Aaron glanced up again as he said, "because, mom knew Kimblee personally and I'd only vaguely heard about him. I thought, maybe he was only like that it the war. Or maybe she could change his mind. I wanted to think the best of him for my mom."

Scar's brow furrowed deeper as he said, "Kimblee is a mass murderer. He can't be changed for the better." Aaron didn't bother looking back at him as he responded, "So says another murderer."

Scar looked harder at the thirteen year-old as he said firmly, "I only began killing because of what the state alchemists did to our kinsmen. The dead deserve recompense, and that is what I'm doing." Aaron shook his head as he responded slowly, "It doesn't matter that they started it, you're continuing it. By killing them like that, you're just as guilty as they are." Aaron hesitated for a moment before he added softly, "Two wrongs don't make a right. Both of my mothers taught me that lesson."

With those words, Aaron hurried to stand his mother. However, Scar did'nt have in in him to be angry at the boy."

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><p><strong>Bit of a short chapter. Anyway, I felt like both Lydia and Aaron needed to state their opinions to Scar whether he liked it or not. Especially Lydia.<strong>

**Please leave a review.**


	11. Tension

**Sorry about the wait. This chapter is rather short, I wish it was longer. Oh well, it is what it is.**

**I do no own FMA Brotherhood.**

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><p>Lydia wrapped the blanket around Edgar a bit tighter before she brushed her hand through his hair. Staying hidden from the military was a difficult and tiring task, especially for Edgar and Elsie.<p>

Lydia sat down across from Scar who barely glanced at her. She bit back a sigh of frustration. For her the sake of her children at least, Lydia wanted to get past their differences. She could tell that the children could pick up on their animosity towards each other. The confused and unnerved expressions on Edgar and Elsie's faces made it clear enough that they didn't understand the situation.

Lydia looked up at Scar and finally said, "I suppose that you'll be wanting to know plenty about Solf as soon as possible." Scar frowned as he nodded, and Lydia looked away. Despite what had happened, she didn't want to betray Solf to Scar. At that point, she could barely believe that Solf had turned on her, and her mind kept on thinking of excuse after excuse for his behavior. She knew that eventually she would have to move on, but she was finding that harder to do than one would expect.

After a minute, Lydia looked at Scar and briefly opened her mouth to ask a question before shutting her mouth and looking down. A moment later, a gruff voice said, "I'm not going to put my plans on hold because you don't want to be involved. You'll tell me how to find Kimblee, and I'll kill him."

Lydia was silent for a few seconds before she replied, "I guessed as much. When it gets to the time when you ask ... I'll find a way to deal with my feeling on the matter." Lydia sighed softly as she said in resignation, "I'll help you find him. Not because I want too, but because I owe you for saving my life, whether I like or not."

Lydia could feel Scar's eyes on her before he said abruptly, "Why don't you hate Kimblee? He planned to kill you."

Lydia looked directly at Scar as she admitted, "It isn't easy for me to hate him. We were raised in the same small town, and we were close friends before we got in a relationship. It's hard for me to say 'I hate him' when I cared for him so many years. I'll need time to fully accept this."

Scar scowled at Lydia and this time, she didn't hold back the sigh. Scar clearly didn't like or trust her. After a moment, Lydia sat up and said, "I think it's time that we acted like adults, and talked out our differences." Scar continued to scowl and Lydia frowned and asked, "Can you give me one reason, at least? One reason for disliking me so thoroughly."

To Lydia, it seemed like he stare at her for a long time before he replied, "If you're so proud of your children, why did you hide them?" Lyda blinked in sunrise before she calmed down. After a while, she said, "Because I was worried about how people would treat us if they knew. It was hard enough to support all of us as it was and I was afraid that if people knew I had adopted Ishvalan children, they would simply refuse to hire me."

Scar scoffed as he said, "You allowed yourself to be controlled by your fear." Lydia's lips pursed as she said spat back, "And for good reasons. There have been two occasions when people found out about my children, and neither event went well."

Lydia sighed before she continued, "The first was right after Clare had died. I was 17 at the time, and hardly knew what to do. My mom questioned me on what I had doing since I hadn't told her about helping Clare. My mother didn't react well, she wanted to turn they over to the military as 'squatters' who had been staying on our property illegally. In the end, I had to choose between my mother and my children."

Lyda's eye dropped to the fire as she said, "The second time, I should have known better. At the time we were traveling from place to place, never staying long enough for people to get suspicious. In one place, I was asked to help the teacher in a small town. The pay was good, and the people there were plesant enough that I thought that it would be fine if I showed off my children just that once. Unfortunately, I managed to overlook the fact that the people did not appreciate anything that wasn't Amestrian in nature. So when I tried to introduce them to my Ishvalan children ..."

Lyda shudder as she recalled the people angered faces as they said all manner of horrible things about her children. In the end, Lyda had left that night carrying a sobbing Elise in her arms.

Lyda looked back up and continued, "After that night, I resolved never to do anything like that again. I couldn't stand the idea letting my children go through that type of scrutiny again. Even then, I've had moments when I doubted my judgement. Once or twice, I considered being more open, bet decided not to take the risk."

After a minute Lydia sighed and said, "It's late, I need to go to sleep." She quickly stood up and said, 'goodnight' to a conflicted looking Scar.

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><p><strong>Well, for now the relationship between Scar and Lydia is pretty tense, but that can change. <strong>_  
><em>

**Please leave a review.**


	12. Family

**Ah ... Inspiration, I finally was greatly inspired, and I just couldn't wait to put this chapter up because I was so exited. This chapter focuses a bit more on family.**

**I do not own Fma Brotherhood.**

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><p>Scar watched the military base closely. Earlier that day, he had approached Lydia and asked her for the information he needed. Lydia had been looked down silently, before she closed her eyes and told him everything she could think of. Afterwards she looked up and said quietly, "I won't try to bargain for Solf's life. After what I told you ... I don't have the right to. Instead, I'm asking that you make his death as quick as possible." At the time he had looked at her for a while before he'd replied, "I'll see what I can do." Lydia had thanked him and he had left wordlessly.<p>

But Scar didn't have an opportunity. The military had done well in preparing for an attack, and finding a a good time to attack would take time. Scar growled as he sat there. Kimblee was technically close enough to attack, but the chances were he'd be killed before he even reached the alchemist.

Scar turned around and stalked off. Shortly after, he arrived at the hiding spot and entered silently. It was around Elsie and Edgar's nap time, and he had learned quickly that it was a bad idea to interrupt their sleep. Thankfully, Elsie seemed to fully asleep and he didn't have to face the prospect of another of her tantrums. He cringed as he remember how Elsie had shrieked aloud that she was a big girl who didn't need naps, and Edgar had sobbed that he was sleepy and Elsie was keeping him awake. Once both kids had been put back to sleep, a rather cross Lydia had turned toward him and insisted fiercely that their nap times should never be interrupted which he agreed to instantly.

He was just about to start making plans when he heard a soft voice say, "Mommy, can you tell me about mother." Scar quickly slipped over to the room where the boys slept, and looked in. Edgar was tucked in bed and Lydia laid on her side beside him with her head on her arm. She gave him a serious look as she replied, "Only if you promise to go to sleep right after."

Edgar nodded eagerly and Lydia chuckled at his enthusiasm before she said, "Clare was one of the greatest friends I ever had. But more than that, she loved you, Elie, and Aaron dearly. She always looked happiest when she was with the three of you, and she kept herself alive until the moment that she was certain that all of you would be alright." Lydia smiled gently as she whispered to a sleeping Edgar, "I always thought to myself, If Clare could leave her home for the sake of her children, then surely I could do the same. When it came to being a mother, I always followed her example, because I wouldn't know what to do otherwise."

Scar watched her lay by Edgar's side a little while, before he walked away and sat down.

Scar's own mother had been loving, but stern. She had insisted on raising both of her children to be proud Ishvalans. As children, both he and his brother had been careful to mind her because they knew rule-breaking would lead to at the very least a stern talking to which was generally followed by a harsher punishment.

Scar's hand tightened as he remembered the day his mother had confronted his older brother about his use of alchemy. She had scolded him sharply for a long time without him responding. It wasn't until she insisted that he had to give up his studies that his older brother said anything. And then he had said that he loved alchemy, and couldn't give it up no matter the consequences. His older brother clearly expected to be smacked for his remark, but instead their mother had hugged him and said she could live with his alchemy if that meant that she could keep her eldest son.

Scar look around himself as he wondered what his mother would think of his choice. And what would she say about Lydia: an Amestrian woman who had left so much behind to take care of three Ishvalan children. But he couldn't think of an answer. At least, not an answer that he particularly liked to think about.

Scar looked up as Lydia sat down across from him and said softly, "Were you able to ..." Her voice faded off at the end and Scar replied, "No. I didn't have an opportunity today."

Lydia nodded before she hesitated and said, "I was wondering recently ... what you family was like?" Scar was silent before he said, "Both of my parents were very traditional people. That was ... part of the reason I became a warrior monk. My brother, Malik, was anything other than traditional." Scar was silent after that, and Lydia said, "I was raised by my mother most of my life. My father left during my childhood and Mother had claimed at the time that he had gotten tired of living in a small town. I'm not sure if that's actually true though, as I seem to have inherited her ability to lie to people."

She smiled lightly as Scar raised an eyebrow, "So far, I've only lied to protect my children. In fact, Solf was the one I've lied to the most in my life. I never felt comfortable with telling him about my children. I don't think he realized I was lying either." Scar's mouth twitched upward at the at the thought of Kimblee easily accepting her lies, not realizing he was being tricked.

After a second he asked, "No siblings then?" Lydia shook her head as she said, "Both of my parents decided that one kid was enough for them. And I'm rather certain they were telling the truth about that."

Scar stood and began to walk away before he turned back and said, "You're the first person to hear that." Lydia smiled as she said, "I don't tell many people about my family either. I find the pitying looks I generally get annoying." Scar nodded as he said abruptly, "Good, because I won't." He turned abruptly, his face tinted slightly red as he heard Lydia chuckling behind himself.

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><p><strong>Ah, so Scar and Lydia have fully gotten passed their conflicts. In the next chapter, Lydia learns about the war. I might put it up in a few days or a while longer. It depends on how impatient I feel this week.<br>**

**Please leave a review.**


	13. War

**Well, it's time for Lydia to learn about the Ishvalan war.**

**I do not own FMA brotherhood.**

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><p>Scar heard Lydia sigh as she looked through their supplies. He knew they were almost out of food, and the military was still continuing their search. She looked over at him as he sat nearby and said, "It looks like we'll have to get more food sooner than we thought." Scar continued to look at the fire as he replied, "We'll go out tomorrow." He could see her close the bag out of the corner of his eye as he moved to put out the fire when they heart a sound.<p>

Both adults paused, and stayed still until the heard the sound, a small cry, again. Lydia looked nervous as she seemed recognized the person's voice, and hurried to the boys sleeping area with Scar following tensely behind her.

The only people who were in the room were Aaron and Edgar, both of whom. Her head turned toward Aaron who was frowning, and beads of sweat slipped down his face as he muttered, "No, stop it. Don't." He whined again as he thrashed and rolled over. Lydia hurried to his side as she said, "Aaron." Aaron jerked away as he whimpered slightly and Lydia's fingers brushed against his shoulder as she whispered, "Aaron, wake up!"

Aaron yelped as he bolted out of bed and pressed his back into the corner of the room as he panted, still caught in his nightmare. Lydia wore a pained expression on her face as she said, Aaron." The preteens eyes snapped over to her as she looked at him gently and said, "It's alright Aaron, they can't hurt you now." Aaron shook his head as he continued to pant and pressed himself harder into the corner.

Lydia looked almost ready to cry as she held her arms out to her son who watched her for a minute before he bolted over and threw his arms around her waist. Lydia's arms curled protectively around him as she nuzzled his white-haired head with her cheek and whispered, "You're safe Aaron, I won't let anyone hurt you ..." Scar left the room quietly as she continued to whisper soothingly words to Aaron. He sat and started into the fire until he heard Lydia enter the room and saw her sit down.

Time seemed to pass slowly as they watched the fire. Eventually, Lydia broke the silence, "Thank you for ... well ... leaving when you did. Aaron is embarrassed by the fact that I know about his nightmares so if he knew you saw as well ..." Scar raised an eyebrow as he said, "And Edgar?" Lydia smiled lightly as she explained, "Edgar could sleep though just about anything but his sister's tantrums."

Scar frowned as he as he recalled the sight of Aaron's expression and Lydia said gently, "The war affected Aaron and Elsie in different ways. The nightmares are one the most obvious effects. The other being the wall that he's built around himself. And Elise, she might not have nightmares because of how little she understood at the time, but she is afraid of everyone she meets at first. Edgar was born in Amestris so he never experienced the war."

Scar nodded as he recalled how both children had acted when he had been first introduced. Their behavior fit with Lydia's explanation.

Both were silent again until Lydia said, "I want you to tell me about the war." Scar looked at her sober expression as she continued, "It was too early for Clare to say much about the war, and Aaron only knows so much about it. Turil is such a backwater place that the people there knew just about nothing regarding the war, and Solf said next to nothing about the topic. Although, in hindsight that might actually have been better."

Lydia sighed as she surmised, "The point is, I know a good deal less about what happened in Ishval than I feel like I should."

Scar's frown deepened as he considered the situation. Her lack of knowledge was indeed troublesome considering her position. He looked up and said, "You knew about the tension that existed before the war began, correct?" Lydia nodded and he continued, ""The war didn't begin until an Amestrian soldier 'accidentally' shot and killed an Ishvalan child."

Lydia's eyes widened in horror as her hand clapped over her mouth. She rose a few inches from her seat before sitting back down. Her expression made it clear she'd been about to check on her children. She gestured for him to continue wordlessly before she clasped his hands in her lap.

Scar looked her in the eye as he said, "It started out as small skirmishes which grew into a war until the Amestrian government decided it had gone on long enough and sent State Alchemists to the front so they could exterminate us." Lydia trembled slightly as she whispered, "And Solf? Did he ..." Her voice broke off as she flinched and bit her lip." Scar's eye continued to bore into her as he said, "He personally slaughtered my family with a smile on his face. My older brother, an alchemist, sacrificed his life by giving me his own arm." He lifted him arm to show her his arm which bore the alchemical tattoo.

Lydia reached over to touch his forearm with trembling fingertips as she whispered, "He always made it seem like he barely participated in the war, that he did so regretfully ... and I believed him ..." Her voice shook along with her fingers which continued to rest on Scar's arm as she closed her eyes. Her expression reflected her conflicted emotions as she seemed to by trying to come to terms which what she'd learned.

Scar's hand wrapped around her's silently. He continued to hold onto her hand until her shaking finally stopped.

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><p><strong>I always thought that the war should affect the three kids in different ways. Next chapter, Scar will find himself facing a situation he's never had to deal with before.<br>**

**Please leave a review.**


	14. Accident

**Ah, this chapter was certainly fun to write. I decided I can't wait any longer to post the chapter.**

**I do not own FMA brotherhood.**

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><p>Scar looked around himself cautiously. He had brought Lydia with himself to get the supplies, but not because he didn't trust her. He was fully certain that if he would leave Lydia and her children to get what they needed, they would still be there when he came back. However, with Lydia being so obviously Amestian, she brought less attention to herself than Scar did.<p>

Lydia hurried back to him with a relieved expression on her face as she said, "I got everything." Scar nodded as they began to walk away. They had gotten a ways away from the main street when a loud voice called from behind them, "That's far enough Scar! I demand you you hand over Miss Addams or face the wrath of Alex Louis Armstrong!"

Scar could see the color drain from Lydia's face as she trembled lightly. He could only guess that she was thinking of what could happen if she was separated from her children again.

Scar made a slight gesture with his head and Lydia nodded as she hurried a safe distance away, and Scar placed himself directly between the Strong Arm alchemist and Lydia. Without warning, Scar knelt and destroyed the ground under the alchemists feet. Well, where he had been standing before the man leaped out of the way and retaliated with spikes which Scar swiftly destroyed. As they fought, Scar noted that the Alchemist was restraining his powers undoubtedly due to Lydia's presence. He had also come alone likely to avoid 'friendly fire' which could injure Lydia.

Both factors slanted the fight in Scar's favor as long as he kept himself between the Strong Arm Alchemist and Lydia. The alchemist's eye narrowed as he looked over Scar's shoulder slightly and yelled, "Desist, Scar! This conflict has gone on long enough." Scar glanced back quickly and bit back a curse. Lydia stood some distance back facing a wall with her side to them, her arms covering her head and neck. A thin red line severed the back of her dress.

Scar turned back and saw the Strong Arm alchemist about to attack. Scar lunged quickly to the side, and destroyed a portion of the wall next to the alchemist. a second later, Scar rushed to Lydia and pulled her into his arms before he raced away and followed Lydia's directions to the cellar from before where they hid.

Scar watched through a small knothole in door as the alchemist walked into the area and looked around. His arms tightened around Lydia who he had placed absentmindedly in front of him. Neither of them said a word as the Strong Arm Alchemist continued to on his path before leaving some time later with a frustrated expression on his face. A minute later, Scar opened the door to the cellar and they left.

It was late at night by the time they got back to the derelict house they had been using as a hiding spot. Scar was relieved to see that all three of the children had fallen asleep while the had waited for him and Lydia to return. He hadn't enjoyed the thought of telling a grumpy, half-awake Aaron why his mother had been injured. The preteen was always more testy when he tired, and seemed to be feel rather protective of his family.

Scar grabbed Lydia arm and lead her to the bathroom as he said, "We need to take care of your injury." Lydia nodded as she began, "I can ..." "No.", Scar interrupted her. Lydia looked like she wanted to refused, but thought better of it and nodded in agreement. She turned her back to him as she removed her dress. Scar took in a deep breath at sight of her bare back. The faint moonlight which entered from the high window and highlighted the gentle curvature of her spine as well enhancing her figure.

Scar was broken from his reverie when he heard a female voice ask, "Is it that bad?" Scar blinked rapidly before he focused on the cut. It curved upwards slightly across her back. Scar gritted his teeth as he said, "It bled more than I thought." It wasn't a lie. The cut was deeper than he had originally thought, although not dangerously so.

Scar swiftly set to cleaning the cut, and absently noted to himself that her pale skin was just as soft as he thought it looked. He distracted himself by stating aloud, "The Strong Arm Alchemist, he recognized you. Why?" Lydia sat calmly as she replied, "The Armstrong family hired me as their cook. He visited the kitchen once to praise my chicken potpie. Apparently he thought it was 'positively delightful.' I think that was the only time we talked though."

Scar grunted lightly as he bandaged the cut. He must have pulled too tightly, because he heard Lydia hiss slightly from pain. For the first time in a while, Scar felt guilt well up in himself. If he had chosen to let the alchemist go instead of trying to use his 'advantage' to the fullest, Lydia wouldn't have been injured. But his ambition had clouded his judgment to everything but his desired outcome.

He rested his hand over the bandage as he uttered the word, "Sorry." Lydia turned sightly to see his face as she whispered, "Don't be." Scar opened his mouth to object and Lydia turned fully around to cover his mouth as she said, "Enough. Even if we had chosen to run immediately, there's no guarantee that we would have gotten away unharmed. We're alive, and the military didn't catch us. That must count for something!"

Scar remained silent as his head turned away. The small had which lay on his mouth drifted upwards to rest on the side of his face as she turned it so he was looking directly at her as she said, "I don't blame you. So please, don't blame yourself." Scar looked down at her her beseeching expression before he nodded.

Lydia smiled in relief and Scar found himself enchanted once again. He caught her retreating hand in his own and brushed his lips against it. Her cheeks flushed with color, and he used her hand to draw her closer to himself. Lydia made no attempt to resist him as his other arm slipped around her shoulders and pulled her close. He took a moment to watch her expression for any signs of resistance before he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers ...

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><p><strong>Ah ha! I love that ending! You'll find out about what exactly happened in the next chapter When Lydia will - - - - - - - - - - ... Sorry, I cant give too much way, but I can say people might find themselves feeling conflicted.<br>**

**Please leave a review.**


	15. Wake Up

**And here is the next chapter with the solution to the cliffhanger.**

**I do not own FMA Brotherhood.**

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><p>Lydia smiled to herself as she cuddled comfortably against Scar's side. A contented sigh slipped from her lips as her head rested sleepily on his bare found herself unconsciously listening to the sound of his heartbeat as. She couldn't remember a time when she'd felt happier than she did at that moment. Lydia stayed like that as she began to drift back to sleep. That was, until her cheeks flushed with the realization of what sort of a position she was in. She was fully naked and snuggled up to Scar who was just as nude as she was. Within seconds, she thought back on how they had managed to get in that situation.<p>

When she had heard Scar voice his apology the night before, Lydia had temporarily forgotten her state of undress and had turned around to soothe his guilt. After he had nodded, she had fully intended to turn around and get dressed again. That was, until Scar's lips brushed against her fingers. After that, she found herself become dazed by the expression on his face. As a result, she made no effort to fight him when he had kissed her with a gentleness she'd never expected. A few seconds later, he leaned in for another and another, each kiss becoming more passionate than the last.

After that, they had continued to kiss as they somehow made their way to the bedroom. Lydia's blush intensified as she recalled the sensation of their bodies pressed together and the way he Scar had refused to let go of her even when they had finished. He had simply wrapped an arm around her waist and muttered something she couldn't hear as the both fell asleep.

Lydia was pulled from her memory as Scar grunted in his sleep and pulled her closer to himself. His fingers curled pleasantly around her waist and his breath brushed against the top of her head Lydia raised her head as glanced up at his still sleeping face, and smiled tenderly. Scar looked a good deal more peaceful in his sleep than he did when he was awake. Anger and suspicion were missing from his expression.

Lydia closed her eyes as rested her head on his chest again. Her hand absentmindedly stroked his chest as it lay there. She didn't know when or how, but somewhere along the way, she had fallen hard for Scar. She could only guess that the feelings had grown over time in such a way that even she didn't know they existed.

As she lay with Scar, Lydia was certain that she wanted to stay by his side. She would go with him on his journey as long as she could, even after she had helped him obtain his goal of killing Solf. That didn't mean that she'd come to agree with his murderous plans. Instead, Lydia wanted to help him release the pain and anger that which kept him on his path of vengeance. The only problem was how to go about doing that. The subject was a sensitive spot for both of them, and she was worried that she would push too hard and end up losing his trust in the process.

Lydia sighed and let her thoughts drift to another subject. How would she tell Scar that she'd fallen in love with him? Despite have been in a relationship, she wasn't certain how to breach that subject as well. As embarrassing as it was, Lydia was used to having the man take the lead when it came to confessions.

A wry smile crossed Lydia's face as she opened her eyes. She looked up at Scar as she gently traced the contours of his face. The whole situation felt like something taken out of the romance novels that her mother would read. She faintly felt amused at the thought of some other girl turning page after page eagerly awaiting the next twist in the plot. Well, as long was she wasn't made into some sort of damsel in distress. After a gently huff, Lydia focused on Scar's face.

She was about to lean forward when Scar mumbled lightly in his sleep and pulled her halfway onto himself. Lydia flushed, and slowly pulled out of his embrace. It was almost time from everybody to get up, and she didn't want to explain what was going on to her children when she had just learned how she felt about the situation.

Lydia quickly got dressed and began to cook breakfast when she finally remembered one problem. Solf. To her great frustration, her feelings for Solf hadn't fully left. Her memories of his gentle words, his sweet gestures hovered at the back of her mind. It seemed that Lydia wasn't as free from his influence as she had wished. Irritation welled up inside of her as she thought about the two men and she pushed the subject out of her head in favor of focusing on the food.

The familiarity of the motions served to calm her down as the smell of cooking food filled the area. A little while later, Scar walked in stretching as he did so just like always. Lydia ducked her head, and blushed at the sight.

Scar seemed to freeze when he saw her cooking breakfast like every other morning. After a minute, she asked him, "Did you sleep well?" Lydia could have smacked herself if she hadn't been busy cooking at the time. Scar nodded as he said, "Did you." Lydia focused on the fire as she whispered back to him, "Yes, I did."

Scar began to open his mouth again as Lydia interrupted, "Did you think of a plan to get at k-Solf, yet." She winced lightly as she somehow chocked out the name despite not wanting to. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a conflicted expression cross his face before he replied, "No."

Lydia nodded, and Scar sat down a little ways away and began to drink the coffee that she had set out for him.

Shortly after, Elsie, Edgar, and Aaron trooped into the room and sat down. Both she and Scar tensed slightly when Aaron looked suspiciously between the two until he asked, "Mom, why is there blood on your dress." Lydia blinked, then finally realized that she had forgotten that her dress was still bloody from the injury she had gotten the day before.

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><p><strong>And so we have a love triangle of sorts. Solf might not be around, but he's still left his mark. Anyway, it makes you wonder what Scar thinks of this and what did he say before they fell asleep? Next, we get to see Scar's side of the situation and something goes wrong.<br>**

**Please leave a review.**


	16. Conflict

**So now it's time to see Scar's perspective on the situation.**

**I do not own FMA Brotherhood.**

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><p>No matter how long a person stayed in a sewer, there was no getting used to the smell it emitted. At least that's what Scar thought of the situation. His nose wrinkled at the stench as kept walking. Since the Military had seen him last, they had redoubled their search for him forcing Scar to abandon his previous hiding spot and take extra pains when it came to moving around the city.<p>

He felt Elsie's hands tighter their grip on his shoulders and he looked back at Lydia who carried Edgar. Lydia's lips twisted into a worn smile and Scar turned his head to look forward. The pair of them had decided to carry the younger children to prevent any stumbles the children might have.

Scar surreptitiously peek back at Lydia who was walking a few paces behind him. Ever since the day she had gotten injured, they had carried on a quiet relationship of sorts. While Scar and Lydia never confessed any sort of feelings to each other, they would continue to have secret trysts when they were out of sight. These encounters of theirs could range from a single kiss, an embrace, to a good deal more. It wasn't too uncommon for Scar to fall asleep with Lydia resting in her arms.

Such situations weren't unpleasant for Scar. He greatly enjoyed the feeling of her breath as it feathered across his chest. It was the only time he felt comfortable enough to card his fingers through her hair, or curl a tress of her hair around his finger before letting it slide off. He'd hold her close and for a little while not worry that somehow she'd be wrenched far out of his reach.

It was only in sleep that Scar got to see Lydia with a peaceful expression on her face. Years of secrets, lies and hiding had given her ingrained anxiety and worry subtly into her face. Whether she was aware of it or not, she would often move and act with the urgency of a person being constantly pursued. It wasn't an obvious thing, but it bothered him nonetheless. He was so used to seeing anxiety on her face that when he got to see that peaceful expression on her face while she slept, Scar would try to stay awake just a little longer. After all, Lydia always wake before Scar so he could never see her in the morning.

Lydia looked down at Edgar who slept in her arms. A tender look filled her eyes as she looked at her sleeping son. Scar felt his own expression soften at the sight. He really had fallen in love with her.

Despite that, several problems stood in his way. The first of which was Kimblee. It didn't take a genius to know that Lydia still felt something for her ex considering that she still used his first name with familiarity. And that was without the added troubles that Scar hadn't been in a relationship. As a result, he wasn't certain how to confess to Lydia. The last problem was that Scar feared after he confessed to her, once he started a genuine relationship, Kimblee would steal Lydia away and kill her like he had with Scar's family. The last seemed absurd even to his own mind, yet it still concerned him enough to keep Scar quiet about his own feelings.

Scar was still brooding when a group of rats ran by him and the others. His brow furrowed as a sense of unease washed over him. Scar held out Elsie to a confused looking Lydia as he said, "Hide." Lydia nodded and handed a still sleeping Edgar to Aaron before she held Elsie and slipped away.

After she was out of sight, Scar turned around and a pair of gleaming red eyes came into view shortly. Before him stood a stout, bald man. The wide smile on his face turned into a hungry leer. Scar tensed and the man raced at him with a speed that belied his large size. The man opened his mouth as though to take a bite out of Scar who swiftly deconstructed his brain. To Scar's surprise, the being sneered and grabbed Scar's side in a massive hand. Whithin seconds where was the sicken crack of breaking ribs and Scar instictive destroyed it's arm before staggering back into the wall behind him.

A groan and blood slipped through his lips as his hand reach for his side. The situation was getting worse by the moment. He had to get away. not just for his own safety, but for Lydia as well. She had already gotten caught in the crossfire once and Scar didn't want to repeat that incident.

The sound of something being cut reached his ears, and Scar turned to loo behind himself as he was thrown into the opposite wall. He caught sight of a black-haired woman briefly before he found himself impaled on her fingertips. He coughed blood, and gritted his teeth before he pressed his hand on the wall behind himself blowing it up.

Scar felt himself flying through the air before landing in the water as the world went black.

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><p><strong>So Scar like Lydia and Lydia likes Scar but neither know how to say it to the other. Quite a fine mess I put them in. Also, I finally got to a part of the animemanga. We'll find out what happens with Lydia in the next chapter.**_  
><em>

**Please leave a reivew.**


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